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LEGISLATURE 



STATE OF MAINE, 



RKSPECTINU THE ADVICE OF 



THE KING OF THE NETHERLANDS, 



IN RELATION 



■SORTH EASTERN BOUNDARY. 



PORTLAND: 

PRINTED BY THOMAS TODD. 



1832. 



-^ 



4 1908 



bTATE OF MAINE. 

In Senate, January 14, 1832. 

The committee of both branches of the Legislature, to 
which was referred so much of the Governor's Message as 
relates to the North Eastern Boundary of the State, have had 
the same under consideration, and report in part : 

That, by the treaty of Peace of 1783, between the United 
States and Great Britain, the North and East Boundary of the 
United States, is agreed and declared to be " from the North- 
west angle of Nova Scotia, viz : That angle which is formed 
by a line drawn due north from the source of the St. Croix 
river to the highlands, along the said highlands which divide 
those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Law- 
rence, from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the 
North- westernmost head of Connecticut river ; * * * * 

East by a Ime to be drawn along the middle of the river St. 
Croix from its mouth in the Bay of Fundy to its source, and 
from its source, directly North to the aforesaid highlands, 
which divide the rivers that fall into the Atlantic Ocean, from 
those that fall into the river St. Lawrence." 

By the Proclamations and other acts of the British Govern- 
ment, long prior to the treaty of peace, the southern boundary 
of the Province of Quebec, and consequently the northern 
boundary of the province of Nova Scotia, was defined and 
described thus ; " crossine: the river St. Lawrence and the 



Lake Champlaiii in fi)rty-five degrees of north latitude, passes 
along t!ie highlands whicli divide the rivers that empty them- 
selves into the said river St. Lawrence, from those which fall 
into the sea, and also along the North coast of the Bay des 
Chaleurs :" and the Western line of the Province of Nova 
Scotia — and consetjuentiy, tlie Northwest angle thereof, was 
as early as 1763, defined -and descriljcd ]»y a ])ubli(" art of 
the King of Great Britain, in these words, " bounded by a 
line drawn from Cape Sable, across the entrance of the Bay 
of Fundy, to the mouth of the river St. Croix, by the said 
river to its source, and by a line drawn due north from thence 
to the southern boundary of our Colony of Quebec." 

The river St. Croix, mentioned, in the treaty of 1783, has 
been ascertained and agreed upon by tlie respective Govern- 
ments of the f nited States and Great Britain, and a monu- 
ment was erected, at its source by consent of both governments, 
as the point from which the due North line to the highlands, 
was to be lun, and it only remains that the line from that 
monument to the Northwest angle of Nova Scotia, or to the 
south line of the Province of Quebec, be run nnd marked, to 
designate uj)on the earth, the line between the United States, 
and the British Province of Nova Scotia, agreed upon and 
described in the treaty of 1783. 

By surveys which have been made, parti}' by both govern- 
ments, and pardy by the American government alone, of tlic 
line running north from said momunent, it is known and cer- 
tainly ascertained, that the place of residence, as well as the 
place of meeting, of those of our citizens, who h;i\c been ar- 
rested and forcibly carried lu^fore a foreign tribunni, and there 
condenuK'd niul |iunisned. was williin the limits of this State. 



Tlie course; whicli sliiill l)e ;ul()[)l('(l lj) the (jlciieral (jovctii- 
ment, as well as by Uils State, is pregnant with most important 
consequences, and while the people of Maine look to the wis- 
dom and power of the Union for that protection which tli(! 
Federal Constitution guaranties to each State, they also look 
to this Legislature for the adoption of all uicasures, which may 
tend to obtain that protection, and to secure to ev^ry citizen of 
Maine the sacred rights of liberty, and protection of person and 
property, when acting under the constitutional laws of the State, 

This State having protested against the right of the General 
Government, to submit to arbitration a question, which might 
jeopardize our territorial riglits, and ha\ing adopted sundry 
Resolutions and Reports of Legislative Committees, expres- 
sive of her views in relation to this subject, which have been 
communicated to the General Government, and may be refer- 
red to, your committee do not deem it necessary, at this time, 
to enter more into detail ; but they recommend the adoption 
of the Resolutions, which are herewith respectfully submitted. 

JOHN L. MEGQUIER, 
T. BOUTELLE, 
WILLL\i\I EMERSON, 
REUEL WILLIAMS, 
JEREMIAH O'BRIEN, 
NATHAN CLIFFORD, 
JOSEPH M. GERRISH, 
JOHN D. M'CRATE, 
CHARLES DUMMER, 
JAMES STEELE, 
CHARLES .J.\in IS. • 



6 

>i\vvE OK maim:. 

JIKSOLTE respecting the North Eastern Boundanj. 

Resolved, That the Constitution of the United States does 
not invest the General Government with unlimited and abso- 
lute powers, but confei-s only a special and modified sovereignty, 
without authority to cede to a foreign power any portion of 
territory belonging to a State, without its consent. 

Resolved, "That if there is an attribute of State Sovereign- 
ty whicli is unqualified and undeniable, it is the right of juris- 
diction to the utmost limits of State Territory; and if a single 
obligation under the Constitution rests upon the Confederacy, 
it is to guaranty the integrity of this territory to the quiet and 
undisturbed enjoyment of the States." 

Resolved, That the doings of the King of Holland, on the 
subject of tlie Boundary between the United States and Great 
Britain, are not a decision of the question submitted to the 
King of the Netherlands ; and that his recommendation of a 
suitable or convenient line of boundary is not obligatory upon 
tJie parties to the submission. 

Resolved, That this State protests against the adoption, by 
the Government of the United States, of the line of boundary 
recommended by the King of Holland as a suitable boundary 
between Great Britain and the United States ; inasmuch as 
it will he a violation of the riglits of Maine, — rights ac- 
knowledged and insisted upon by the General Government, — 
and will be a precedent, which endangers the integrity, as well 
as the independence, of every State in the Union. 

Resolved, That while the peoi)le of this State are disposed 
to yield a ready obedience to the Constitution and laws of the 



United Slates, tlioy will never consent to surrender ;iny portion 
of their territory, on the recommendulion ofu l-'tjrelgn Power. 

Resolved, That the (jovenior, with advice of Council, ]>o 
authorized to appoint a competent Agent, whose (Juty it sluill 
be, as soon as may be, to repair to the City of Washington, 
and deliver to the President of the United States a copy of 
the preceding Report and these Resolutions, with a request 
that he will lay the same before the Senate of tiie United 
States ; and also dehver a copy to the Vice President, to each 
of the Heads of Departments, and to each Member of the 
Senate, and to our Representatives in Congress. 

Resolved, That our Senators in Congress be instmcted, and 
our Representatives requested, to use their best efforts to pre- 
vent our State from being dismembered, our territory alienated, 
and our just rights prostrated, by the adoption of a nciv line for 
our North Eastern Boundary, as recommended by the King 
of Holland. 

Resolved, That the Agent to be appointed by the Governor 

and Council, be instructed to co-operate with our Senators and 

Representatives, in advocating and enforcing the principles 

advanced, and positions taken, in the foregoing Resolutions, 

and in supporting all such measures as shall be deemed best 

calculated to preserve the integrity of our State, and prevent 

any portion of our territory and citizens from being transferred 

to a Foreign Power. 

In the House of Representatives, Jan. 18, 1832. 
Read and passed. 

BENJAMIN WHITE, Speaker. 

In Senate, Jan. 19, 1832. Read and passed. 

ROBERT P. DUNLAP, President. 

January 19, 1832. Approved, SAMUEL E. SMITH. 



STATE OF MAINE. 

In Council, Jan. 19, 1832. 
Present, — The Governor, Messrs. Cobb, 



Messrs. Prince, 

Strickland, 



Pierce. 



I Ion. William P. Preble is by the Governor, with the 
advice of the Council, appointed Agent under Resolves of the 
Legislature, passed January 19, 1832, entitled "Resolves re- 
specting the North Eastern Boundary." 

Attest, R. G. GREENE, Secretary of State. 



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